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American Bud Cauley picked up his first-ever PGA Tour win in 239 tries on Sunday, winning the RBC Open in Caledon, Ont.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Eight years ago Bud Cauley sustained life-threatening injuries as the passenger in a car accident. Dark days followed and it was three years before he played golf again.
On Sunday, Cauley won for the first time on the PGA Tour in 239 tries at the RBC Canadian Open. He shed tears and his wife, Kristi, whom he met through a mutual friend as he was recovering, cried with him.
“I’m thinking about how hard it was,” he said as he stood beside the 18th green afterward. “I’m really thankful for all the help that I’ve gotten.
“I put my wife through so much. There were times I wasn’t sure I would be able to play again. We had conversations where we weren’t sure it would work out.”
On a day that was made for bullfrogs and ducks, Cauley shot a 65 and finished 17-under-par on the rain-soaked Black Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont.
Fan favourite Sudarshan Yellamaraju climbs into contention at RBC Open
With nine holes to go he was in a three-way tie but slowly pulled away and edged runner-up Matt Fitzpatrick by two strokes and Viktor Hovland by three. He chipped in a shot on the 12th hole and recorded seven birdies for the day.
The final round was played in chilly temperatures and beneath ominous skies. Hail fell shortly before players teed off in the morning. It was windy and rained and poured throughout the day.
“It was very, very, very wet,” Fitzpatrick said dryly.
Cauley ended up with a 72-hole total of 263 on the 7,389-yard layout, which offers only a few layups. He was consistent throughout – 69, 63, 66 and 65 – and claimed a first-place prize purse of US$1.764-million.
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Cauley said his win was for his family and the people who have supported him in the eight years since his serious car crash.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
The top Canadian was Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., who finished tied for eighth. He had a final round of 68 and finished at 268.
“Going into the week I had that little bit of added pressure being at the Canadian Open and being pretty close to home and stuff like that,” Sudarshan said. He will play in the U.S. Open beginning on Thursday. “I just kind of tried to keep trying to tell myself to play the best that I could and to fight until the very end, which was pretty much what I did.”
Yellamaraju is 24 years old and was born in India but has lived in Mississauga since he was 11. He learned to golf by watching YouTube videos and turned professional at 19. Over the next four years he competed in 66 events on the Korn Ferry and PGA Canada circuits.
He earned his PGA Tour card in 2026, and has made the cut in 14 of 18 events with seven top-25 finishes. Each of the last three days fans serenaded him at the 14th hole with O Canada.
“I think it kind of provided some extra motivation and a boost in energy to try to play the best I could this week,” Yellamaraju said. “It feels good to have a good result, and it does help with confidence and momentum.”
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Matthew Anderson, 26 and also from Mississauga, tied for 11th at 11-under-par over four days. He is not a member yet of the PGA Tour; instead he is a regular on its Korn Ferry circuit. The only PGA Tour event he has ever competed in is the Canadian Open – now four times.
Previously he missed the cut twice and in 2025 tied for 47th.
“If I didn’t believe it before I absolutely know now that I can win out here,” said Anderson, a former Ontario men’s amateur champion and a member of Team Canada. “It wasn’t my time today, but it will be my time soon and that’s fine.”
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Brooks Koepka, seen teeing off during Saturday’s third round, withdrew on Sunday morning due to injury.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Brooks Koepka, a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour, withdrew in the morning due to a hand injury. He was two strokes off the lead after 36 holes but struggled on Saturday and received treatment while out on the course.
“I don’t know what it is,” Koepka said after he shot two-over par on Saturday. “I’m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger. My fingers would come loose. It was kind of numb.”
The tournament began with a field of 148 and was cut to 74 after 36 holes. Ten of 21 Canadians made the cut.
Sunday turned out to be a day of reflection for Cauley.
“I’ve played so many events without getting a win, but with everything that our family went through when I was out, and to have my first win with my family here, it kind of seems like perfect timing,” he said. “I really look at it more as a thank-you to all the people that have helped me get to this point. To have some success and play well is just kind of a thank-you to them.”
As Cauley was nearing the 18th green, Kristi was behind the scene. Their three-year-old, Cooper, entertained himself by sitting in a golf cart and pretending to drive. Their one-year-old, Miles, snuggled in his mom’s arms.
Kristi and the boys came out to watch Cauley tap in his final putt. He looked over at them and his eyes started to tear up.
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Bud Cauley, his wife, Kristi, and their children enjoyed the moment after he earned his first PGA Tour win.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press